Various systems have been devised in an attempt to reduce damage to homes and other structures during a hurricane. U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,768 discloses a net secured to the roof of a structure, and another patent discloses a different type of system for reducing wind damage to a structure. Publication WO93/00491 discloses a net secured to and covering the roof of a structure. A device promoted as the Safe-T-Net provides for a net on a roof, with tie-downs to the base of the building. None of these devices, however, has achieved significant commercial success, in part because of the time involved in covering the building with a netting, and due to the unreliability of securing the netting in place during a storm.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and an improved system and method are provided for protecting a structure from wind damage.